The present application relates to a material for use in the production of products that may benefit from having a hard, non-porous surface appearance and feel, and in particular may find utility in kitchen and bath products such as kitchen sinks, lavatory sinks, countertops, bathtubs, shower receptors, and the like. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to an engineered composite material for use in the production of such products.
In many applications, it is desirable to have a hard, generally non-porous surface. For example, consumers may prefer that kitchen countertops and the like have such a surface to resist staining and damage due to wear resulting from everyday use. Natural stone (e.g., granite, limestone, etc.) is often used in such applications, but is limited by various material properties. For example, stone may have a number of natural imperfections in the material, which can result in a brittle material prone to cracking or breaking during the manufacturing and installation processes. The brittleness of the material can result in chipping or cracking of the material upon impact (e.g. pans or dishes impacting a stone kitchen counter). Natural stone also typically has a relatively high porosity and water absorption, which from a practical standpoint means that such material must be frequently sealed, which results in significant additional maintenance cost and effort. Additionally, stone is an expensive material to use given the difficulty to machine the product, as well as its limited availability. Natural stone also has other limitations, including that the stone cannot be formed into complicated shapes easily without significant effort. For example, if it were desired to produce a sink made of a natural stone material, a relatively large amount of material would be wasted in the machining process, since the manufacture would start with a large piece of stone and a significant amount of the stone would be removed in the formation process to create the desired shape.
Given the numerous disadvantages of using natural stone in household applications, there exists a need for an engineered composite material that may be used in these applications and that has enhanced material properties that is intended to resist staining and to provide increased stain resistance, abrasion resistance, chemical resistance, and decreased brittleness. Such a material would ideally be relatively simple and efficient to produce and may incorporate materials that are readily available.